Foil laminate pouch
A multi-layer bag with a metal foil or metallised film between plastic layers. It is the most effective everyday tea container there is and the least impressive to look at: the metal layer blocks light completely and is a far better barrier to oxygen and water vapour than plain plastic, paper or a loose-lidded tin.
Identity
- Category
- Storage
- Also called
- mylar bag, metallised pouch, resealable foil bag
- Material
- Polyester and polyethylene laminate with an aluminium foil or metallised layer
- Skill level
- Beginner
Porosity
Not porous. It contributes nothing of its own to the liquor, so it can be moved between teas freely and washed with detergent without consequence.
Where it comes from
Modern packaging, and the industry default for tea worldwide.
Named here rather than presented as generic equipment. The object belongs to a practice, and TeaHQ describes it from the outside.
If you do not own one
None needed — this is usually the bag the tea arrived in, and it beats decanting into a decorative jar. Fold the top down and clip it, or use the resealable strip; press the air out before sealing.
This one is not marked essential. The tea can be made without it.
Tea types it suits
Care and maintenance
Keep the seal area clean, because leaf dust in a zip strip stops it closing. A pinhole makes the whole laminate useless, so do not use one as a scoop. Not suitable for dark tea intended to age, which wants exchange rather than a barrier.
Other storages
Sources
This page is TeaHQ synthesis. No external source stands behind the description, the material or the account of how the object is cared for. Where the record names a tradition, that attribution is TeaHQ’s own reading of common practice rather than a citation.
TeaHQ names no maker, brand or shop and has nothing to sell. Nothing on this page should be read as advice to buy the object — the substitute note above exists because owning it is usually optional.
Written comparisons
Where TeaHQ has set this piece of teaware against something it is routinely confused with, and argued the differences out in full.
- Foil pouch vs vacuum canister vs valve bag — Three storage options at three prices, and the cheapest and least impressive of the three is the most effective. One of the other two was engineered for a problem coffee has and tea does not.